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Buddy

credit: SHANE GONZALES

Buddy, the Compton-bred rapper has enjoyed a breakout 2017, with the release of Ocean and Montana, his five-track EP produced entirely by the Canadian producer Kaytranada, as well as Magnolia, a second EP produced by soulful hit-makers Mike & Keys and aided by features from Wiz Khalifa, Kent Jamz, and Boogie.

The two projects have earned him critical acclaim from Pitchfork who write "Buddy is an emotive, relatable rapper and singer", The FADER who describe his work as "a beautifully rendered portrait about loss and self-discovery", and from XXL who proclaim "Buddy proves that he’s one of the top writers in the game with his songwriting abilities.”

Hip-hop is filled with harrowing stories of Compton childhoods, but Buddy’s included an important sort of escape. When he was only 7 years old, his parents sent him to a performing arts program where he perfected his craft. By the age of 18 he had an underground hit and people like Pharrell began to take note thrusting him into some of the most powerful rooms in the industry, but until now, the timing was never quite right. Listening to his pair of extraordinarily smart, adventurous EPs, it’s easy to see that it’s finally Buddy’s time.

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